the ferrari of hot pot restaurants

Acclaimed Chinese hot pot shop begins soft opening of first Houston-area location

Choose up to four broths and an array of meat and vegetables.

Haidilao

A highly acclaimed hot pot restaurant has made its Texas debut. HaiDiLao began its soft opening on May 3 in Katy.

Dubbed the "Ferrari of hot pot restaurants" by Los Angeles Times food critic Jonathan Gold, HaiDiLao serves an extensive menu with multiple choices for different broths and sauces to create each individual bowl. A wide range of meat — including wagyu beef — seafood, and vegetables are available.

At the end of the meal, a "noodle dancer" makes hand-pulled noodles tableside. Diners use the noodles to soak up the remaining drops of broth and sauce.

Even more than its food, the restaurant is known for its service. Diners may receive a hand massage while they wait for a table or be given plastic covers to shield their phones from broth. The restaurant brought employees from a California location to assist with the opening, according to a press release.

"It's a fun, bonding experience for families. It's authentic, and the kind of restaurant you'd find on a trip to Asia," Heather Nguyen, development partner for Katy Grand developer NewQuest, said in a statement.

Currently, the restaurant is only open for dinner, and reservations are required. Customers may request a time through the restaurant's website.

Announced over a year ago, the 200-seat restaurant occupies approximately 6,300-square-feet in the Katy Grand shopping center. It joins Japanese book store Kinokuniya, Taiwan-based concept 85°C Bakery Cafe, and Kura Revolving Sushi. In the coming months, Katy Grand will add the first Texas location of Tim Ho Wan, a Hong Kong-based dim sum restaurant with a Michelin star, and PopStroke, a mini golf facility with courses designed by Tiger Woods.

news-you-can-eat openings

where there's smoke

Houston's only Michelin-recognized Tex-Mex restaurant now open in Bellaire

Photo by Duc Hoang

Don't miss the brisket nachos at Candente.

It didn’t take Sambrook Hospitality Group long to turn Mandito’s into Candente. First announced in September, the restaurant’s second location officially opens today, Monday, December 22, at 5101 Bellaire Blvd.

Speaking on a November episode of CultureMap’s “What’s Eric Eating” podcast, Sambrooks Hospitality founder Michael Sambrooks explained that, as a Bellaire resident, he saw an opportunity to open a restaurant close to home.

“It was a combination of, this location became available, and we liked the market. I think Bellaire is underserved. As far as Tex-Mex options, I think it’s limited,” he says. “We always struggle with where’s somewhere we can grab a bite that’s five minutes away as opposed to driving to another part of town. I think Candente is that solution. I think it’s going to be pretty well received.”

In terms of design, the restaurant replicates many of the same elements as the original Montrose location that opened in 2019, such as its copper-topped tables and yellow, orange, and maroon accents. Diners will note a mural by local artist Franky Cardona along one wall. Overall, the restaurant seats 125 in its dining room, 10 at its bar, and 24 on an outdoor patio.

While the location is new, the menu is the same. That means the same wood-fired fajitas, brisket enchiladas, nachos, birria tacos, and other fare that helped it achieve a “Recommended” designation in the Michelin Guide for Texas — the only Tex-Mex restaurant in Houston to make the prestigious guide. Pair them with margaritas (both shaken and frozen), as well as agave-based cocktails such as the paloma and ranch water, beers, and non-alcoholic options.

Sambrooks Hospitality also operates The Pit Room, the barbecue joint with locations in Montrose and Memorial City that earned a Bib Gourmand designation.

“It’s a privilege to open in Bellaire and get to know and serve a new clientele,” Sambrooks said in a statement. “We’re excited to introduce our style of authentic, handcrafted Tex-Mex that has made us a Houston dining staple.”

Candente will be open for lunch and dinner during the week beginning at 11 am. Brunch is served Saturday and Sunday beginning at 10 am.

Don't miss the brisket nachos at Candente.

Photo by Duc Hoang

Don't miss the brisket nachos at Candente.

openings news-you-can-eat tex-mex